The Road Not Taken
by mercury999
Summary: Mulder lives a different life, then destiny takes its toll on him and he's united with Scully.


Title: The Road Less Traveled  
Author: mercury_999  
Rating: PG  
Spoilers: none  
Category: Angst/Romance  
Keywords: Mulder/Scully  
Disclaimer: Characters in this story are not mine . . . well wait,  
what am I saying? Some of the characters are indeed my creations,  
but Mulder and Scully are not.  
Distribution: Please ask first, but I'll always say yes :)  
Summary: Do we lead the same life no matter what decisions we  
make along the way? What would happen if neither Mulder nor  
Scully had become FBI Agents? Would they end up in the place  
they are in right now?  
Author's Notes: shippers, stick with me. I guarantee you'll like the  
outcome of this story!  
Feedback: mercury_999@hotmail.com  
  
XxXxX  
  
I'll never forget the moment I first saw Dana Scully. It was one of  
those things that you can look back on and replay in slow motion,  
with mood setting instrumental music blocking out the sounds in  
the background. It was the memory that you know isn't going to  
fade, and the event wasn't just a coincidence.  
  
I guess I should start at the beginning. My name is Fox Mulder.  
Yes, Fox. Ever since junior high I've forced everyone to call me  
Mulder. I grew up with my parents and my sister, then after I  
graduated from high school I went to Oxford to study psychology.   
  
Elizabeth was my best friend. We met at Oxford and returned to  
America together. We married within a year, and eventually had a  
daughter. Joey will be 12 in April.   
  
At the time, I thought that we had settled down for the rest of our  
lives. A couple years after Joey was born, we decided that we did  
love each other, but we weren't in love. She was my best friend,   
still is, but we just weren't meant to be.  
  
Some people believe that your life partner is your best friend. She  
was someone I could confide in, someone I could trust, she offered  
moral support, and we always had a lot of fun together. We shared  
everything, even after our divorce.  
So we split up. Elizabeth kept my last name. I moved into the  
apartment next door, and we continued to live our lives together  
. . . apart.   
  
Joey's real name was Josephine, after Elizabeth's grandmother, but  
she was known as Joey for as long as anyone could remember. She  
grew up very quickly. It's hard to believe that ten years ago, I was  
married.   
  
It was during this time that my father was killed. Then a few years  
later, my mother died after a long struggle with cancer. These  
events brought Samantha to move back to DC. We became close  
for the first time in our lives; the last time we lived in the same  
vicinity were the days of teasing and sibling rivalry. Although such  
tragic events had brushed the Mulder family, I never imagined it  
could get worse.   
  
I often wonder if the lives we lead are influenced by our fates. Do  
our entire lives change with one decision, or do we eventually end  
up in the same place?   
  
I can still hear the stroke of midnight as it echoed through my  
apartment. . .  
  
XxXxX  
  
Three Months Earlier  
  
"Mulder?" Elizabeth asked, turning on my bedroom light.   
  
"What? What is it?" I asked, blinking rapidly and struggling to sit  
up. "Are you okay? What time-" The toll of midnight came from the  
hall way. Elizabeth stood in the doorway of my bedroom, her long  
brown hair hanging limply on her shoulders. Her head was bowed  
slightly, just enough to advert her eyes from my gaze. Her right  
hand was resting on the light switch, and her left hand was pressing  
against her abdomen. Her cheeks were pale and her body was  
shaking.  
  
"What happened?" I asked, swinging myself out of bed and rushing  
over to her. My heart in my throat, I slid one arm around her waist  
and guided her over to my bed.  
  
"I don't know," she whispered. "I'm going to go to the hospital, can  
you watch Joey?"  
"I'm going with you," I said, "Where's your jacket?"  
  
"Next door. Who's going to stay with her?"   
  
"I'll call Samantha. You just rest." Elizabeth nodded.  
  
I took my key, and went next door. After I pulled her jacket out of  
the closet, I glanced into Joey's room. She was sleeping soundly. On  
my way out, I picked up Elizabeth's shoes and returned to my  
apartment. I grabbed the cordless phone and called Samantha.  
  
Her muffled greeting answered after the fourth ring.  
  
"Samantha? I need you to come over and watch Joey while I take  
Elizabeth to the hospital," I said, helping Elizabeth into her   
jacket. I could hear Samantha's husband talking in the background.  
  
"Fox? What happened?" Samantha asked.  
  
"We're not sure," I said.  
  
"I'll be right there," she replied, hanging up the phone.  
  
"She's coming," I said, helping Elizabeth stand up.   
  
"I'm relieved," she said, then cried in pain when she tried to take a  
step. She sank against me, and asked "What's wrong with me?"  
  
"We're going to find out, sweetheart," I said, picking her up and  
carrying her out of my apartment. I locked the door, and took the  
elevator down to the lobby. We met Samantha as she entered the  
building. "Thank you so much," I called, tossing her a key to  
Elizabeth's apartment, then continuing out the door.  
  
I carefully set her down in the passenger seat of my car. Tears  
glistened in her eyes. "Hurry, Fox," she whispered urgently. I  
buckled her seat belt, and ran around the car. After a few seconds  
we were driving toward the hospital.  
  
When I reached the hospital, Elizabeth eye's were shut and her head  
was tilted back on the head rest. My right hand was holding hers. I  
pulled up to the entrance, and parked my car. A technician came  
outside to greet us, pushing a gurney. I carefully lifted Elizabeth  
from the seat of the car and put her on the mattress.   
  
"Sir, you'll have to move your car," the technician said, and I   
looked down at the large 'no parking' letters painted on the   
ground. "She'll be in good hands," he comforted, wheeling  
Elizabeth into the hospital and leaving me outside in the crisp  
air.   
  
I moved the car into a parking space, telling myself that she'd be  
okay. It wasn't until I was jogging across the parking lot that a  
feeling of dread came over me.  
  
Inside, people were standing and sitting in the waiting room. The  
main desk was straight ahead of me, and the door to the Emergency  
Room was to my left. The waiting room, a hallway and a set of  
elevators was on my right. Doctors came in and out of the  
Emergency Room studying charts or talking to colleagues. Nurses  
wandered about, calling patients names and leading them through  
doors.   
  
My feet were frozen to the doorway; I was unable to face what I  
might see. I looked to the left, then I looked to the right. My  
pounding heart slowed it's rhythm, as I saw a doctor walk toward  
me. She was petite, with red hair cut at her chin. She was frowning  
at a chart, walking with a brisk stride. She looked up and our eyes  
met.  
  
She continued walking by, turning her head to look over her  
shoulder. I stared after her, as she walked into another doctor. Her  
cheeks flushed as he handed her the chart she had dropped, and  
with one last quick glance at me, she disappeared through the door  
to the Emergency Room.  
  
I stood awkwardly in the doorway, before I realized one of the  
receptionists was talking to me.  
  
"Sir? Are you alright?" She asked.  
  
I jumped. "I'm looking for Elizabeth Mulder," I said.   
  
"I'm sorry, you'll have to wait. The doctor will come out as soon as  
possible." I walked into the waiting room and sat down. Each  
minute seemed years longer the previous. After an eternity of  
staring blankly at the door to the Emergency Room, I got up and  
started pacing around the room. The waiting room was slowly  
becoming less and less crowded. I glanced at my watch. It was 1:27.  
I sat down and stared at the doorway again.   
  
All I could hear was the low hum of the soda machine to my left.  
The receptionists were talking quietly at their desk, and the flow of  
people had stopped almost all together. A nurse came out of the  
door and headed for the waiting room. There was only two other  
couples and myself waiting. She walked over to me.  
  
"Mr. Mulder?" She asked.  
  
"Yes," I said, jumping up. "Can I see her?"  
  
"She's asking for you. Follow me," the nurse replied, leading me  
through the Emergency Room doors. I followed her down a long  
corridor with rooms on each side. The main desk for the Emergency  
Room was located in the middle of four connecting hallways. We  
turned right and walked to a closed door.  
  
The nurse opened the door and I entered. Elizabeth was laying in  
the bed, her eyes closed. The blankets were at her chest, and her  
fists clenching and unclenching. An IV ran from the suspended bag  
to the back of her right hand. She looked up when she heard the  
door open. The nurse closed the door behind me.   
  
"Elizabeth!" I exclaimed, rushing over to her. She smiled slightly.  
"How are you doing?"  
  
"They don't know what it is," she said softly. I sat down beside her  
and took her hands.  
  
"It's okay," I whispered. "We'll get through this. How bad can it  
be?" She shrugged and looked away from me. I leaned over and  
kissed her forehead.  
  
"I'd like you to hold me," she murmured. I nodded and slowly slid  
an arm behind her back. She eased her body forward into my arms,  
then rested her forehead against my shoulder. I slowly massaged her  
back, and she draped her arms around my neck. "Oh, Mulder..." she  
cried.  
"Sweetie, it's going to be okay," I whispered, leaning down to kiss  
her temple.  
  
"I love you," she said, hugging me tightly.  
  
"I love you, too," I replied. She tried to pull away from my embrace,  
but gasped in pain. "What? Elizabeth are you okay?" I asked  
frantically. She nodded, blinking back tears. I laid her back down  
onto the bed. "Are you sure?" She shook her head, allowing her  
tears of pain to stream down her cheeks. I pushed the call button  
several times.   
  
A nurse opened the door. "Is everything-" she was interrupted by the  
sound long beep as Elizabeth's heart flat lined. "Doctor!" I touched  
Elizabeth's face with my hands.  
  
"Elizabeth!" I cried, my voice cracking. "Oh God!" Three  
technicians entered the room, following two doctors. I vaguely  
recognized one of the doctor's as the mysterious red-head. Her face  
was strained as her male counterpart ordered a technician to get me  
out of there. "Elizabeth!" I cried again, as a man pulled me away by  
my arm. "I love you."  
  
The next thing I knew I was outside the room, all by myself. I could  
hear murmuring beyond the door. I backed against the wall, and  
allowed myself to crumple to the floor. I realized then that a  
moment like this is the real eternity. Forever is but a moment when  
we are suspended awkwardly in air. We don't know if our world is  
going to soar, or going to come crashing down on us. So I waited.  
The minutes were painfully slow. I couldn't make myself listen to  
the chatter inside the room, so I sat there, numbly staring ahead.  
  
The door opened. I leapt up and was face to face with the petite   
red-head doctor. I read the name tag pinned to the front of her  
jacket, 'Dana Scully, MD.' She took a deep breath, and my heart  
dropped to my stomach.  
  
"I'm sorry, " she whispered. "I'm afraid Elizabeth is no longer with  
us." The words I'd been dreading slapped me with reality. We had  
vowed to spend the rest of our lives together; even our divorce had  
kept that promise. Now all I could hear were her earth-shattering  
words echoing in my mind. Something broke inside me, and I  
slumped forward into her arms and started to cry.  
  
I caught her by surprise, but she stood there for only a moment  
before she wrapped her arms around my back to try and ease the  
pain. "I'm so sorry," she whispered. She didn't say anything more  
after that. Her fingers continued tracing abstract patterns on my  
back. She held me for countless minutes, and just as I was ready to  
pull away, she brushed her lips softly over my temple.   
  
When I finally lifted my tear-stained face from her shoulder and  
pulled away, I could see a glassy look in her eyes.  
  
"Are you going to be okay?" She asked.  
  
"I think so," I whispered. "Thank you." I walked past her and  
continued down the corridor. I passed the Emergency Room main  
desk, and went back into the lobby of the hospital. The lights were  
dimmed in the vacant waiting area. There was no one at the main  
desk, so I walked into the waiting room, sat down and held my head  
in my hands. Thoughts about Elizabeth raced through my mind.  
Eventually, those thoughts changed to Joey, and finally Dana.   
  
"Mr. Mulder?" a voice cut through my mind. I raised my head and  
saw Dana standing in front of me. She was no longer wearing her  
white coat. "Do you want me to call someone for you?"  
  
"No," I whispered. She sat down on the chair beside me, then she  
placed her hand on top of mine.  
  
"If you want to talk about it, we can," she said. I paused for a long  
time.   
  
"I think I would like that. Do you think we can get out of here and  
grab some coffee when your shift is over?"  
  
She nodded, then said, "My shift was over three hours ago." Out of  
the corner of my eye I glanced at my watch. It was now 3:17. I  
didn't question her motives, instead I stood up and she followed  
suit. As we walked side-by-side across the waiting room, our hands  
brushed slightly. I reached over and took it in mine, feeling slight  
closure from within.  
  
XxXxX  
  
Present  
  
Right now, as I remember this untimely sequence of events, the  
glow of my fish tank has turned my living room a light blue, the  
door is open a crack to Joey's bedroom, and Dana's head is resting  
calmly on my shoulder. I feel a presence settling peacefully in the  
room, and my gut instinct tells me that we're being watched from  
above. I stare at the fish for another moment, then I pick up Dana  
and carry her to our bedroom.  
  
XxXxX  
  
FINIS  
  
mercury_999@hotmail.com  
  
XxXxX  
  



End file.
